Redact PDF

Permanently cover sensitive areas in a PDF in your browser.

Browser-local PDF tool

Use Redact PDF

Draw over sensitive areas and create a flattened PDF whose marked content is no longer selectable or searchable. Everything runs in this browser tab.

Choose PDFSelect one PDF from this device

Redaction colorOptional label

Draw boxes directly on the page previews. Each box permanently covers that region in the downloaded PDF.

Review the output carefullyRedaction is not automatic. Check that every copy of the sensitive detail is covered before sending the flattened PDF.

Redaction is permanent in the outputThe downloaded PDF is rebuilt from page images. That removes the original text layer, but also removes selectable text, forms, links, bookmarks, attachments and signatures. Keep the original and inspect every page before sharing.

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About Redact PDF

Redaction is different from placing a black rectangle over a document. A real redaction must remove the readable page layer underneath, otherwise hidden names and numbers can still be selected, copied or searched. This browser-local tool renders each page, permanently paints the areas you mark, and rebuilds a flattened PDF. Your original stays on your device.

How it works

Choose one PDF. Pages are rendered in this browser tab and shown as a visual review grid.
Draw a box over each name, address, account number, signature or other sensitive area. Use multiple boxes on any page.
Review the marked pages, choose a redaction color and optionally add a short label such as REDACTED.
Create the redacted PDF. The marked content is burned into page images before the local download is created.

In practice

Remove personal details

Cover an address, phone number or email before sending a public version of a report.

Prepare a case bundle

Mark account numbers or unrelated names on scanned exhibits, then review the flattened output before disclosure.

What to watch for

The output is flattened and page text is no longer selectable. This is intentional: a visual black box alone is not safe redaction.
Review every page and every marked area before sharing. This tool cannot infer which words are sensitive and cannot guarantee that you found every copy of a detail.
Forms, links, bookmarks, attachments, digital signatures and other interactive PDF features do not survive the rasterised output.
Keep the original securely. Redaction is not encryption, legal advice or a guarantee against screenshots or other copies.
Large or long PDFs may use substantial device memory because pages are rendered locally.

Questions

Is the hidden text really removed?

The output is rebuilt from page images, so the original text layer is not carried into the downloaded PDF. Always inspect the result before sharing.

Can I undo a redaction?

You can remove a marked box before creating the output, but a completed redacted PDF cannot recover the covered content. Keep the original file.

Are my documents uploaded?

No. Rendering, marking and PDF creation happen in this browser tab. No upload endpoint is used.

Does it preserve selectable text?

No. Flattening removes the text layer to prevent the covered text from remaining searchable or copyable.